السبت، 22 أكتوبر، 2011

Tinnitus

Do you suddenly get up in the middle of the night hearing strange noises? Yes it can definitely be frightening, more so when you cannot find the source. Now consider for a moment that these sounds are coming from within you. Most people would be stunned to know that. Many of us do not even know that our internal organs can make sounds.

Let us try to see whether you actually heard these noises or not, and if you did, where did they come from. Now before anything, let us get this straight - yes, you actually heard those noises. No, they are not a result of a creative mind that imagined things in slumber. But having said that, it is also true that there is indeed no source of the sounds you heard. So what is it? Confused? This is a classic case of tinnitus.

What is tinnitus?

What you experienced last night (or did you just get up from sleep and switch on the computer) is a classic case of tinnitus. This is a medical condition wherein a person hears all kinds of strange clicking, ringing, buzzing, whistling or hissing sounds within the ear. What's so worrisome about this condition for a lot of people is that, there's actually no physical source of these sounds. What makes it even worse is that, no one else seems to hear them. Frankly, these people cannot be really blamed. Naturally, if you cannot see where the sound is coming from, and if you keep hearing it, you are bound to get worried.

In tinnitus, the sounds a person hears are actually perceptions. Since there's no actual source, they are often referred to as "phantom noises". Will it help you if you knew that about 8% of all people in the US suffer from tinnitus? Perhaps not, but at least now you know that you are not alone who hears these strange noises.

Of course you will want to know why you are hearing these noises. But even before you find this out, you should know that tinnitus is actually not a disease. It is actually a symptom of a problem that is rooted deep, somewhere within your body.

The problem could be a simple one like an infection in the ear, or even simpler, such as ear wax. Just clear the wax and get the infection treated, and the noises could go away. In some people, it could even be the result of a side-effect of a drug they took. Or it could be more complicated.

Some people will have tinnitus because their Cochlea is damaged. And in a few, it could be caused due to hearing loss. But of course, the most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noises. The noise can be a sudden burst, or it could be a constant banging that hits the ear drum and travels inside. If they are abusing their ears by making it a point to stay close to such a racket, they will definitely have to pay a price. What's this price - it is tinnitus.

Of course, the noises of tinnitus are not heard only during the night. You could hear them during the day too. But it definitely seems to become worse in the night. In a few people, the noises come and go as they please. And there are others who hear them all the time.

Treating Tinnitus

It is almost impossible to live with tinnitus but you don't have to. If you are hearing the noises, whether all the time or intermittently, you must seek treatment immediately. But sadly, conventional treatments only treat the symptoms of tinnitus and may provide temporary relief at best. Sure enough, the sounds are going to come back.

The only way you could ever get rid of your tinnitus for good is by following the holistic approach to healing. By using a multidimensional treatment for tinnitus, we are tackling all tinnitus causative factors and eliminating these triggering elements from the root. This is the only path for permanent freedom from tinnitus.